Woman pleads guilty to possession of cocaine

March 22, 2008|By Scott Waltman, swaltman@aberdeennews.com

It wasn't her smartest decision. A Sioux Falls woman has been sentenced to time in county jail because she had drugs on her when she went to pick somebody up from a trustee unit in Redfield. Lucy L. Wilkins, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, a felony punishable by as much as 10 years in state prison and a $20,000 fine. Vic Fischbach, Spink County state's attorney, said that officials at the trustee unit were listening in on a phone call between Wilkins and the person she was going to pick up. He said Wilkins was asked if she would have "stuff" when she arrived. When she got to the center, she was stopped, and officers found that she had marijuana in her possession. Tests revealed she had cocaine in her system, and she was ultimately charged with and pleaded guilty to the more serious crime. Wilkins was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years' probation. She was given credit for 15 days because she underwent outpatient treatment. She must pay a $500 fine. She was granted a suspended imposition of sentence. That means the incident won't go on her record if she adheres to the terms of her probation. In other recent court news involving felonies from around the region:

Monica Y. Bell, 34, of Redfield, admitted she violated the terms of her probation in Spink County. She was on probation as the result of a previous embezzlement conviction. Fischbach said Bell broke probation rules by writing insufficient funds checks and committing driving offenses. Bell was sentenced to five years in prison with two years suspended. She was fined $750.

Slade C. Hinrichs, 23, of Sioux Falls, admitted he violated the terms of his probation in Brown County. He previously pleaded guilty to statutory rape. According to court paperwork, Hinrichs broke his probation rules by drinking alcohol and being accused of stealing gas. For violating probation, Hinrichs was given a suspended 10-year prison term. He must spend 30 days in jail, but was given credit for 20 days. He must spend four years on probation and pay a $500 fine. His suspended imposition of sentence, which would have kept the statutory rape conviction from his record, was revoked.

Terry C. Moffenbier, 50, of Aberdeen, pleaded guilty in Brown County to a third drunk driving charge in a 10-year span. The crime is punishable by as much as two years in state prison and a $4,000 fine. Moffenbier was sentenced to 75 days in county jail and given credit for time spent in treatment. He must spend two years on probation and pay a $750 fine. He was granted a suspended imposition of sentence. That means the incident will not go on his record if he adheres to the terms of his probation. Court